Family Reunion
by Peacenikky
Summary: When Ryou's father is sent home from a dig with a broken leg, Ryou has to worry about more than telling him he's gay. Because his relatives are coming to town, and they're not too openminded... MalikxRyou
1. Chapter One

Author's Note  
  
Yep, it's me again! Normally this is where the girls and I would hold some mindless banter in an attempt to make you crack a smile, but they're off sulking because of ff.net's new rule. Yep, now we're not allowed to use dialogue format even in our author's notes. If any administrators are reading, I'd like to point out that I feel this is really overstepping the line. I'm sure I'm not alone in this sentiment. Just to let you know. *coughtakethehintcough*  
  
But I know you don't want to hear me whine. So while Sands gathers dust on my hard drive, you'll get to read this new fic. Yes, there is shonen ai/yaoi. Anyone who has a problem with that may leave now. Thank you, and enjoy the fic.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. That includes Yu-Gi-Oh! and the teensy little mentionings of Fruits Basket and Redwall in this chapter. If I did, we'd see a lot more of Ryou and Malik, and Dark Necrofear would have her doll back.  
  
"Come on, please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
It was a hot summer day, and that meant two teenage boys, one with golden hair and lavender eyes and the other with silver hair and chocolate eyes were spending time in the latter's apartment, trying to come up with plans that involved either air conditioning or cold water. Most of these plans had already been shot down by the saner of the two, mostly for the sake of public safety. That didn't stop his boyfriend from coming up with new ideas, however.  
  
"Pretty please with sugar and whipped cream and cherries and--"  
  
"Malik, for the last time, I am not taking you to the planetarium! You already got us banned from the arcade, remember?"  
  
"But that was because those girls wouldn't leave us alone! Come on Ryou, you said you wanted us to go out on more dates, right?" Malik purred innocently, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's slim waist. The Egyptian smirked, already detecting Ryou's hesitation. "We'll learn about the stars, all cozy and cuddly in the dark room..." he began, kissing Ryou's cheek.  
  
"Well..." Ryou murmured, blushing as Malik moved to kiss a trail down his neck.  
  
"By the time we get out, it'll be time for the real stars to shine. We'll curl up beneath a tree, point out the constellations and look for shooting stars. It'll be romantic and harmless, right?" the blonde coaxed, by now also massaging Ryou's shoulder. "Please?" he asked, blinking at Ryou with wide, innocent lavender eyes.  
  
Ryou sighed and pouted. "Malik, that's not fair! You know I can't say no when you look at me like that!" he protested, looking indignant.  
  
Malik laughed, pressing a kiss on Ryou's lips. "But that's why I do it, silly!" he teased. Ryou stuck his tongue out in retaliation. Malik's attempt to put the pink muscle to better use was interrupted by the incessant ringing of the telephone in the kitchen. Ryou slowly pushed himself out of Malik's arms and went to answer it, leaning against the counter as he picked up the receiver.  
  
"Moshi moshi." Ryou said cheerfully while Malik plopped down on a chair nearby, listening boredly. He wanted to get back to luring Ryou into a make out session, damn it! The blonde blinked as Ryou's expression suddenly changed to shocked horror. "No... Is he—I see..." Ryou murmured, pausing as he listened to the person on the other end. Malik opened his mouth to speak, only to be silenced by Ryou waving a hand in front of his face. "Yes, I understand. Mm-hmm, I'll wait for his call. Thank you for calling. Good bye." Ryou said softly before setting the phone back in its cradle.  
  
"Ryou... Is something wrong?" Malik asked, wrapping his arms around the subdued boy's waist and pulling him close.  
  
"It's my father. He was working on excavating a temple in Greece." Ryou started before swallowing, "He's been in an accident. One of the statues collapsed and he was in its path. He'll live, but his leg was broken in two places."  
  
"Ouch." Malik muttered. Ryou glared at him.  
  
"This is serious! He'll have to be sent home from the excavation, and... Oh, great." Ryou slapped his forehead. "And he'll probably want to know who you are. I haven't exactly told him yet that I'm gay."  
  
"Okay, we've been together for four months now. You've probably known you were gay for the past year or so, right?" Malik asked, fighting back a laugh.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"And you never once found a good time to tell him, 'Oh, by the way, I'm dating another boy. He's blonde, psychotic, a cleaning freak, and gives great he--"  
  
"Malik!" Ryou exclaimed, blushing madly.  
  
"I'm only kidding. I know how much you want your dad to accept you. But if he doesn't, you've got me, remember." Malik murmured gently, hugging the smaller boy close. A small, tremulous smile flitted across Ryou's lips.  
  
"I know. It's just that he's family... And I know certain—mmph!" Ryou squeaked as Malik spun him around and placed a firm kiss on his lips. The blonde pulled away, placing a slender finger on Ryou's lips to keep him from speaking.  
  
"Don't worry. It's gonna be all right." Malik promised, kissing Ryou's forehead.  
  
"I don't know..." Ryou murmured. Malik had to fight back a laugh at how adorable and vulnerable his boyfriend looked just then.  
  
"Have I ever steered you wrong before?"  
  
"Well, there was the whole Battle Cit--"  
  
"Never mind." Malik sighed, still holding Ryou in his arms. "You know what I mean, right?"  
  
"Yeah. Thanks, Malik." Ryou said, smiling hopefully.  
  
"Anytime, love." Malik responded, moving in to kiss Ryou again. This attempt was also interrupted by the ringing phone.  
  
"Oh yeah, they said my father would give me a call as soon as he could." Ryou murmured sheepishly as he disentangled himself and went to pick up the phone. Malik pouted and leaned against the counter as the pale boy began talking happily to his father, the idea of telling him he was gay having been completely blown out of his mind.  
  
About ten minutes or so later, Ryou hung up and sighed softly. "He'll be flying home as soon as they let him out of the hospital, so he'll probably be here in two or three days. That gives me some time to come up with a decent explanation."  
  
Malik frowned. "Ryou, you're attracted to other boys. There's no need to explain anything," he pointed out. Ryou blushed in embarrassment at the reason of the blonde's statement.  
  
"Good point." Ryou conceded, crossing his arms over his chest and absently rubbing the scar on his left arm. Once again, Malik pulled the boy into his arms, nuzzling and coaxing him into relaxing.  
  
"Keep talking like that, okay? It's rare that I'm right about this sort of thing." he teased before getting an almost feral glint in his eyes, the kind that often frightened his more timid peers. Ryou, having been the recipient of that look several times in the past, was instantly worried.  
  
"Malik? Why are you—yeek!" Ryou yelped as Malik pulled him to the ground and proceeded to take his boyfriend's mind off the idea of his father coming home.  
  
~~~  
  
"Flight 106, flight 106, where is it..." Ryou murmured under his breath as he scanned the screen that displayed the times and gates pertaining to the arriving flights. Malik leaned on Ryou's shoulder, boredly looking around the crowded airport.  
  
"Ryou, why'd you drag me along?" he whined with an overdramatic sigh, "I never said I wanted to meet your dad!"  
  
"One, I needed a ride and I was sick of getting leered at on the bus. Two, Dad's still on crutches, so now might be a good time to introduce you. Come on, every boyfriend has to meet the father sooner or later..." Ryou explained, having found the gate number and pulling the blonde along with him down the long corridor.  
  
"But all boyfriends dread meeting the father! So why make me?" Malik whimpered before perking up as they passed a bookstore outlet. The Egyptian gripped Ryou's wrist to stop him so he could get a better look. "Ooh, whazzat?" he asked, already getting a hyperactive, insane tone to his voice. Ryou rolled his eyes.  
  
"It's a bookstore, Malik. Much like the one in town. Now can we please move on? We need to meet Dad at the gate when his plane arrives..."  
  
"That's not for another fifteen minutes. We've got time to kill." Malik interrupted, already pulling Ryou along with him toward the shop. "Come on, please?" he added, despite the fact that his mind was pretty much already made up.  
  
Ryou sighed and gave in, causing Malik to cheer, kiss him on the cheek, and pull the boy into the store. The silver-haired boy stood by and idly flipped through a gamer's magazine while Malik wandered through the store, inspecting the various paperbacks on the shelves. Eventually the blonde picked up a book with a robed mouse holding a sword in front of a tapestry. "Redwall... Eh, might as well." he muttered, taking it to the cash register.  
  
The girl in charge of it, a short brunette with messy hair, was more or less Malik's age, and was currently occupied with a manga. It took three attempts to get her attention, and the final attempt involved literally yanking the book out of her hands. The girl blinked in shock before getting an irritated look on her face as she reached for the stolen manga.  
  
"Give that back!"  
  
"Maybe I shouldn't. You know you really should be focusing on the customers, not on," Malik glanced at the page he had held open, "...not on pretty boys in drag." A quick glance at the cover told him the pretty boy in question had silver hair, much like Ryou's. That led to certain mental images of Ryou in a dress, which led to images of Ryou slowly removing said dress... "Mmm..." Malik purred softly. Ryou sighed and walked over, plucking the manga from Malik's hands and returning it to the shop girl.  
  
"Malik, behave." Ryou hissed before apologizing to the female. The brunette blushed slightly before getting a smile that made Malik twitch.  
  
"Thanks. So, what brings you around here?" she asked with WAY too much interest, in Malik's opinion. The blonde twitched and retrieved the Sennen Rod from his side pocket before thrusting it into the startled girl's face.  
  
"I suggest you back off now, or risk spending an eternity in the—hey!" Malik pouted as Ryou lightly smacked him in the back of the head and gave him a "play nice or you're not having any fun for a month" look. The blonde rolled his eyes and plopped his book on the counter. "Just hurry up." he muttered darkly.  
  
The girl gulped and quickly scanned the barcode, glancing at the register. "Erm, that comes to 700 yen." she murmured softly, avoiding Malik's gaze. (A/N: The price was estimated based on the yen-to-dollar value shown in the May 2004 issue of Shonen Jump.)  
  
"Sorry about that." Ryou apologized, "My boyfriend's a bit overzealous."  
  
The girl paled. "B-Boyfriend?" she asked, the smile slipping from her lips.  
  
"Yes, boyfriend." Ryou repeated, bracing himself for the standard "Ewww! That's so gross!" speech.  
  
"Aw, how cute!" the girl squealed, handing Malik the book and receipt in exchange for his money. The blonde rolled his eyes and quickly left, turning and walking down the corridor. Ryou chased after him soon after.  
  
"Nice try, Malik! The gate's the other way!" he yelled, catching the protesting boy by the elbow and dragging him in the correct direction.  
  
The girl sighed, propping her chin up with her hand. "Why do all the cute ones have to be gay?" she moaned before going back to her manga.  
  
Five minutes later, both boys were sitting uncomfortably in the hard plastic seats provided by the airport. Ryou kept looking out the window every few moments while Malik read from his new book. After a few more minutes passed and still no plane arrived, Ryou started to fidget. Malik tried to focus on the book, but eventually the constant movement from the corner of his eye proved to be too much.  
  
"Would you stop that?" he growled, slamming the book shut.  
  
"I can't help it!" Ryou moaned, "This waiting is driving me crazy! I keep thinking he's going to hate you, or he won't let us see each other, or he'll be disgusted, or—mmph!" Malik had his lips firmly pressed to Ryou's and was gently stroking the boy's cheek to distract him. The plan worked, and soon Ryou was kissing the Egyptian back, sighing softly and parting his lips to let Malik's tongue slide in.  
  
Ryou moaned softly and ran a hand down Malik's arm as the kiss grew hotter, paying no attention to the stares of the other people in the lounge. In fact, it wasn't until a startled gasp and the thud of a bag hitting the ground hitting Ryou's ears did the boy pull away.  
  
Bakura Yohmei, supported by a set of crutches, stood behind the youth, looking shocked and more than just a little bit perturbed. A thick white cast binding his right leg testified to his injury. Ryou blushed and smiled nervously.  
  
"Um... H-Hi, Dad! E-Enjoy your flight?"  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Mwahahaha! Doesn't that always seem to be the way your parents find out about a relationship?  
  
Judi here. We've figured out a way to all be able to get our two cents in, and that means taking turns with the Author's Notes. So that means next chapter Leanna and Rebecca will take care of things. We WILL beat the system! *evil laughter followed by a coughing fit* Ahem...  
  
Anyway, this is only the tip of the iceberg for Ryou. In the next chapter, we're gonna meet some of Ryou's relatives, and it's not going to be pretty... Interested? Then keep an eye out for the next chapter!  
  
Special thanks go out to Sakyu for agreeing to give this chapter a test reading!  
  
And just for old time's sake...  
  
Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies! 


	2. Chapter Two

Muse's Notes  
  
Greetings, readers. This time it's Leanna delivering the notes to you as part of our attempt to defy ff.net's new rule against script formatting in author's notes.  
  
When we left our victims, Ryou's father had broken his leg and had to return home early from a dig. Ryou hadn't exactly told him yet that he was gay, let alone dating Malik. Well, that little problem solved itself when Yohmei got off the plane to find the two making out. Now the boys have to deal with the aftermath...  
  
Before we get to that, let's answer our reviews!  
  
Redconvoy: Oh, don't worry. You'll see his reaction very soon...  
  
Lin-Chan: I know, poor guy. But surprises like this tend to pop up when you're away most of the time...  
  
Angelbird12241: Your wish is our command.  
  
Tramontana Keeper: Yep! Not exactly what he expected, now was it?  
  
Optimistic girl94: Of course I'm gonna write more!  
  
LittleDarkOne: I know! I just love this pairing! hands you Ryou and Malik plushies  
  
Amarin Rose: Hmm, now that sounds tempting... And I loved "Not What You Think," by the way!  
  
Maruken: Don't worry, we're working on updates!  
  
Now enter the disclaimer...  
  
DISCLAIMER: Do you honestly believe a girl like Peacenikky could own something like Yu-Gi-Oh!? She's far too scatterbrained to pull something like that off! Not to mention her drawing sucks... And she doesn't own Sailor Moon, either.  
  
"How... When... Who... What... HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Yohmei thundered. All three males were back at Ryou's apartment, and the younger boys sat on the couch while the older one continued his rant. Ryou's head was bowed in embarrassment, but Malik simply leaned against the boy's shoulder, halfway tuning Yohmei out. The blonde had a faint half-smirk as he idly pictured the older man pacing and then tripping over his crutches.  
  
"Easy. Your son is gay, and I'm dating him. You do know that usually entails physical attraction, right?" Malik piped up with flippant calm. Ryou's head shot up in shock at his boyfriend's attitude.  
  
"Malik..." he hissed, detecting the waves of murderous rage coming from his father. The blonde didn't take the hint.  
  
"Don't worry, we haven't officially slept together." Malik added, rolling his eyes. "...Yet." Malik blinked before smiling. "Hey, look! Your dad's turning red!"  
  
"Get. Out." Yohmei said simply and dangerously. Ryou shot a glare at Malik as the boy shrugged, kissed Ryou on the cheek, and got up.  
  
"I'll call you later. Nice meeting you, Bakura-san!" he said cheerfully as he left.  
  
Ryou groaned as his father turned to face him. "He's really nice, honestly! He's just a little..." Ryou trailed off, searching for the best word.  
  
"Insane? Perverted? Oversexed?" Yohmei suggested, frowning. "I don't like him at all, Ryou."  
  
"I'd say... unique."  
  
"Ryou, he was molesting you in broad daylight!" Yohmei added vehemently.  
  
"You can't exactly molest someone who's willing..." Ryou said meekly. Yohmei groaned and hung his head.  
  
"I knew leaving you alone for so long was a bad idea..."  
  
"Dad, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm gay. I can't change that." The ocean-haired man reached over and touched his son's shoulder reassuringly  
  
"You could never disappoint me, Ryou. Besides, evidence shows that homosexuality was widely accepted in ancient Greece and Rome. And I'd be an idiot to think being gay is something that'll keep you from doing great things. But I really wish you'd told me this sooner." Yohmei sighed, rolling his eyes heavenward. "I really, really wish you'd told me sooner..."  
  
Ryou gulped, immediately feeling like he had just messed up. "What's wrong?" he asked meekly.  
  
Yohmei sighed, sitting back down, propping his foot up on a fluffy pillow nearby. The older man looked like he had just been told he was being sent to a month long boot camp, all the while being chained to his son's darker half. "Well, with my leg like this, getting around isn't going to be easy for a while. So I called up your aunt and uncle." Yohmei paused to gauge Ryou's reaction. He didn't need to wait long.  
  
"You didn't..." Ryou moaned. He knew full how being near his relatives would be a waking nightmare. His aunt Noriko and his uncle Sachitobe lived in Nagasaki, and the boy hadn't seen either them or their son Satoshi since recently after his mother and sister's funeral. It wasn't something the boy was too broken up about, since his uncle had never approved of his younger brother marrying a woman from England, his aunt was constantly trying to set Ryou up with some flighty slut or other, and Satoshi was a wickedly perverted brat who seemed to enjoy tormenting his "half-breed" cousin.  
  
Ryou might have been able to put up with it, except for one thing. All three of them were quite firm in a certain subject. Traditionally minded was the polite way of putting it. Homophobic was the more accurate term.  
  
"How long will they be staying?" Ryou asked weakly, mentally estimating how long he could avoid his relatives and get away with it. Yohmei looked at his son with sympathy.  
  
"Three weeks, a month at the longest. Sachitobe and Noriko will stay in the spare room, and Satoshi will be staying--"  
  
"Don't say it..." Ryou moaned.  
  
"Afraid so. He'll be staying on a futon in your room. I know it's gonna be tough, so if you suddenly get a lot of invitations to sleepovers, I'll understand."  
  
Ryou smiled, touched that his father was being so cool about the whole thing.  
  
"...Just not with Malik."  
  
"Dad!"

---  
  
"Flight 293 from Nagasaki is now arriving at Gate Seven. Flight 293 from Nagasaki is now arriving at Gate Seven."  
  
It had been a week since Ryou and Yohmei's conversation, and now the two sat in an airport lounge identical to the one Ryou and Malik had been making out in a week ago. The silver-haired boy still fidgeted nervously, but his father stood by the end of one row of seats, being unable to get in a comfortable sitting position with his cast and crutches. Ryou sighed, tensing up as the door leading from the plane slid open and the first passengers began to file out.  
  
'Businessman... teenage divorce kid... frat boy...' he idly listed in his mind, running a hand through his hair and yawning softly. After a minute or two, the boy fought back a groan when he saw a middle-aged man with a few lines of gray shot through his dark blue hair step into the lounge. A thin, delicate woman with short, jet-black hair and too much makeup soon followed him. Last of all was a boy Ryou's age who seemed too far involved in his MP3 player to be paying much attention to his surroundings. Even at first glance, you might be able to tell he was someone who used his looks to charm and disarm others with his lightly tousled black hair, brown eyes, and a body that had more muscle than Ryou's. 'Okay Ryou, welcome to Hell. Let's see how long you can last.' The pale boy thought as he put a plastic smile on his face and stood up to greet his relatives. "Aunt Noriko! Uncle Sachitobe! It's great to see you!" he greeted them with false cheer before squeaking softly as Noriko crushed him in a hug.  
  
"Oh, look how you've grown! And those puppy dog eyes! You must be quite the lady-killer!" she chattered. Ryou gave his father a pleading glance, but it was no use. Sachitobe was already teasing his brother about his accident and cast, and Yohmei had an expression that bled tension and the wish to bean the older man over the head with one of his crutches.  
  
Ryou mentally sighed and looked at Satoshi, who was watching the slightly shorter boy with a "well, won't this be amusing" smirk. "Good to see you again, Ryou." Satoshi said cheerfully, throwing an arm around Ryou's shoulders as soon as he was free from Noriko's hug.  
  
"Yeah, likewise..." Ryou muttered warily as Sachitobe called the others over to head for the baggage claim. Ryou sighed and trudged along, not looking forward to the next few weeks at all.

---  
  
'Think of spending time at the planetarium with Malik. Think of spending time at the planetarium with Malik. Think of spending time at the planetarium with Malik.' Ryou chanted in his head over and over to drown out the thought of his surroundings during the bus ride back to his apartment. Yohmei was keeping up a polite conversation, but he too looked like he'd rather be elsewhere. Satoshi was once again listening to his music, but he kept throwing Ryou wicked smirks that caused the boy to edge back toward the wall. The strategy failed with Satoshi pulled off his headphones and stood next to Ryou, leaning casually against the wall.  
  
"So what have you been up to?" Satoshi asked innocently. "You still into that stupid board game?" Ryou glared at his cousin.  
  
"First of all, Monster World isn't a board game. It's a tabletop RPG. Second, it's not stupid. Third, yes, I still enjoy playing it, so I would appreciate it if you didn't insult it!" True, Ryou still enjoyed playing Monster World, but he hadn't really had a chance to find other players in a while, mainly because Yugi and the others were still wary of being turned into dolls despite Ryou's assurance that Bakura wouldn't try the same trick twice. Malik wasn't much help in the matter either. In fact, he found the idea hilarious. 'Maybe I could make an exception in Satoshi's case and let him play...' he thought idly.  
  
Well, well, is that an evil thought I just heard?Bakura teased from within Ryou' mind.  
  
The boy glared at his chest where the Sennen Ring was hidden beneath his shirt. "Oh, shut up." He hissed under his breath.  
  
Satoshi looked up with a start. "Excuse me? Did you just tell me to shut up?" he growled dangerously, leaning in toward Ryou. The pale boy laughed nervously and shook his head.  
  
"No, of course not! Why would I do that?" he quickly insisted, taking another step away from his cousin.  
  
Satoshi glowered. "Yeah, right." He muttered, looking ready to do some damage if it weren't for all the witnesses on the crowded bus. Ryou gulped and rode in an awkward silence for the rest of the way to the bus stop. With some difficulty, the five Bakuras got off the bus, toting luggage and overhead bags toward the apartment complex down the street. From there it was a short elevator ride and hike to Ryou's apartment.  
  
Yohmei guided Sachitobe and Noriko to the modest guest room off the hall. Normally it was used to house boxes of artifacts that needed temporary storage, but now it had been cleaned out, dusted, washed, and freshened up. Ryou sighed and directed Satoshi to his own room, which merely had to be straightened up and rearranged a bit to accommodate a futon mattress and pillow.  
  
Satoshi plopped his duffle bag on the ground and sprawled out on Ryou's bed, looking quite comfortable. Ryou took a deep breath to calm the twitch that threatened to form in his eye and looked the other boy square in the eye. "Now listen up. I don't care if you're my guest or not. I know you too well, so politeness can just go out the window when you're concerned. This is my room. You are not to touch ANYTHING without asking me first, got that?" The fact that he was being so aggressive shocked Ryou, but being faced with the raven-haired boy drove him to break from his usual character. Satoshi smirked, sitting up with one arm draped casually over his knee.  
  
"What would make you think I'd do something like that?" he asked, staring at Ryou innocently.  
  
"You tried to melt Amane's Sailor Moon dolls with a magnifying glass and a candle." Ryou stated, not blinking.  
  
"I was eleven!"  
  
"And I have no reason to believe you'd act differently this time." Ryou said calmly.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Satoshi shrugged and got up, wandering over to Ryou's desk and picking up a framed photograph. It had been taken shortly after the Battle City finals. Ryou was still supposed to be confined to bed, but Anzu had insisted he be in the picture as well. Maybe it was all the painkillers in his system, maybe it was Malik's arm wrapped snugly around his waist, but somehow he had managed to stay standing long enough for Rishid to take the picture. The other duelists and guests, save for Kaiba, were also in the shot.  
  
Satoshi was paying particular attention to Mai and Isis, who were both looking relieved that the ordeal was over. The teenager's focus seemed to rest a little below their faces, however. "Hey, who are these babes?" he asked. Ryou rolled his eyes.  
  
"Those girls would be Kujaku Mai and Ishtar Isis. And don't bother, since Mai would laugh and/or slap you and Isis would beat you over the head with whatever's handy." Ryou said, though Satoshi seemed to be ignoring him.  
  
Ryou's attempt to snatch the photo out of his hand and lock it in a drawer was interrupted by the chime of the doorbell. Yohmei hobbled over and opened the door, revealing the one person who was sure to make the situation far more difficult.  
  
Malik leaned against the doorframe, dressed as nicely as he could be—meaning a shirt that actually covered his midriff if he didn't stretch more than five centimeters in any direction and some rather elegant jewelry covering his arms. His expression was just as slightly insane as ever as he spoke loudly enough for the others to hear him, "Hey, Bakura-san! Can Ryou- chan come out and play?"  
  
Deputy Muse's Notes  
  
Hey-hey! Rebecca here! It's my turn now to talk to you! You can expect a lot more updates to come now that Peacenikky's summer vacation has started. Who knows, with enough prodding/death threats, she just might pick up Sands again!  
  
There's not much else to say, aside from the fact that Peacenikky's also hyper because of Ryou's first appearance in the manga just arrived.   
  
Ryou here. Just putting in my two cents. They left the 'u' out of my name. WHY DID THEY DO THAT?! And apparently I'm in denial over Amane's death. Not fun...  
  
Rebecca again... We're signing off now, so peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies! Bye!


	3. Chapter Three

Author's Notes

Heh, so much for posting during summer break. Sorry everyone! Don't worry; I already have a good bit of the next chapter written up now.

There's not much else to say, so I'll cut to the reviewers...

Slashysecrets: Lauren! I thought it was you! Thanks for reviewing!

Angelbird12241: Aw, thanks! Heh, that won't happen for a while if Ryou has anything to say about it...

Kokoro Kawari: Yeah, I just now realized it messes with denoting yami and hikari mind speak. I'd chase the guy who came up with that rule with an axe now, but I can't use asterisks now... But thank you for your compliment!

Yami Sango: Cookie! Yay!

Goddesskali: Assuming my muses don't abandon me, I'll try to keep going.

Mars Explorer: I know the feeling... So I'll work on keeping you guys happy!

Tramontana Keeper: Ah, yes. I'm not sure if Ryou's going to hug or strangle Malik over the course of the month now...

Amarin Rose: Ooh, good question. Ryou never really got a chance to tell Malik about their homophobia, but it's still not gonna get any easier once he does...

PhoenixMageFire: All right! Thanks for the support!

LittleDarkOne: Yep, it's an evil cliffie. And yes, Malik is adorable.

Millennium: LMAO! I can picture that perfectly!

And to everyone else who reviewed: Thank you for replying and for putting up with my long waits!

There isn't much left to say, seeing as I no longer have my yami or my muses to bounce off against... So I'll quit babbling and move on to the disclaimer and then the fic.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Detective Conan. Simple as that. Now shoo, there's nothing else to say.

Yohmei stared at Malik with disbelief. The blonde looked up at him, blinking innocently. "Well? I just wanna go out with him to catch a movie or something, or do you still think I'm gonna ra—mmph!" Ryou had chosen that moment to come up and clamp his hand over Malik's mouth.

"Malik, hi, great to see you again..." he said cheerfully before putting his mouth by the now very confused blonde's ear. "Trust me, right now, acting like you normally do isn't a very good idea. I'll explain later, just please, PLEASE keep the affection down." he whispered hurriedly before removing his hand.

"Fine, but who's he?" Malik asked, pointing behind Yohmei at Satoshi, who was looking over the blonde with a critical eye. "You're not cheating on me, are you?" Malik asked dramatically, sniffling for effect. Satoshi looked at Malik like he was insane and Ryou slapped his forehead.

"Ha ha, what a kidder..." Yohmei muttered, giving Malik a sharp glance. "Malik, this is my nephew, Satoshi. He and his parents are staying with us for a few weeks. Satoshi, this is Malik, a very good friend of Ryou's." Yohmei gave Malik another look with the word "friend." The blonde tilted his head to the side and blinked.

"Yeah, you could say that..." he said slowly, not sure what was going on.

"These two were going to go see a movie today, and I completely forgot all about it," Yohmei fibbed, pausing to weigh his options before continuing, "but I promised Ryou he could go. Just be back before dinner, all right?"

Ryou's face broke out into a smile. "Thanks, Dad! I'll be right out, just let me grab my wallet."

Malik watched as his boyfriend dashed off to his room to retrieve the mentioned item before staring back up at Yohmei with an "Okay, what the hell is going on here?" look. Yohmei sighed, giving Malik his own "Not right now..." look. Ryou appeared a moment later, waving goodbye before he grabbed Malik's wrist and pulled him down the hall.

As soon as the two stepped into the elevator and its doors slid closed, Malik glared at Ryou. "Okay, you want to explain what's going on here?!" he demanded. Ryou shrank back a little before sighing.

"I'm really sorry, Malik. It's just that my relatives don't really handle homosexuality very well..."

"So you're scared of being rejected by family again?" Malik growled before leaning against the wall. "If they can't deal with you being happy in the company of another guy, forget them!"

"Malik, I don't have that much family left. I don't want to be alone on this..." Ryou muttered.

"You're not the only one who's lost family, you know." Malik shot back with venom. Ryou winced and hung his head, realizing his mistake.

Malik sighed and muttered curses under his breath. He just couldn't stay mad at Ryou, especially when he had that wounded-puppy look. Malik gently pulled the boy into his arms, stroking his hair. "Gomen ne... I shouldn't have yelled. But you have to realize that it won't be the end of the world if a few idiots can't understand us." Malik kissed the top of Ryou's head and tilted his chin up so they were looking eye to eye, "We love each other, right?" he asked, smiling when Ryou nodded weakly. "So that's all that matters. Don't let your idiot relatives get to you, okay?" he murmured soothingly, giving him a chaste kiss.

"Easier said than done... If they find out, they'll be sure to make our lives a living hell for their whole stay. It might just be easier to--" Ryou was cut off as the elevator doors opened.

Malik groaned, realizing they had never punched in the floor they wanted, which would mean someone else could come along and enter the elevator. Malik pressed a quick kiss on Ryou's lips before reluctantly pulling away and leaning against the wall. It was lucky he had, because Satoshi stepped into the elevator a moment later, smiling innocently.

"Seeing as I'm new here, and it's my first day and all, I was thinking you could show me around town!" he said with the confident air of someone who usually got his way. Malik scowled, immediately disliking the other boy. It was slowly becoming clear why Ryou wouldn't want Satoshi to find out about his sexual preferences.

"Sorry, your name is..." Malik began.

"Satoshi." the other said calmly.

"Satoshi..." Malik began again, narrowing his eyes, "We'd love to, really, but Ryou and I have already made plans for the afternoon, and they don't include you, I'm afraid. So sorry." he spat out. Satoshi feigned looking hurt, but somehow it didn't have the same effect on Malik that Ryou's previous emotion had. The brunette didn't seem to care.

"But leaving your guest all alone at home in a strange new city would be so rude..." Satoshi pointed out, staring directly at Ryou. The pale boy flinched and bit his lip, weighing his options. Satoshi had him pinned with his argument. But he had wanted to spend some time alone with Malik.

"Well? I'm waiting for an answer..." Satoshi said in a sing-song voice. Malik looked ready to ram his fist down the other boy's throat when Ryou finally gave in.

"All right, you can come with us. But you're paying your own way for everything, got it? And you're not sitting by us in the theater. In fact, just pretend you don't even know us." Ryou instructed sharply. Satoshi rolled his eyes and nodded, yawning.

"Sheesh, don't make it sound like you two are going out on a date or something." he muttered, not noticing Ryou tense up or Malik look ready to kill. "So, what movie is it gonna be?" Satoshi asked with his soon-to-be-trademarked "ha ha, I won" smirk.

---

"Ryou?" Malik whispered. The boys were sitting together in the darkened theater, near the front.

"Yes, Malik?" Ryou whispered back, trying to focus on the movie.

"This sucks."

"I know, I know."

Satoshi had, true to Ryou's instructions, picked a seat far from the two, but he still managed to find a way to make their time miserable by shouting commentary at the screen. Luckily for him, the only other people in the theater were a young straight couple making out in the back and a brother and sister who had the misfortune of sitting behind Satoshi.

"So, what are we gonna do? Sit here and suffer for another hour and a half or leave and have wasted our money?" Malik whispered, shooting a glare up at the obnoxious boy a few rows back.

"Well..." Ryou mused, looking up when Satoshi suddenly began yelling at the siblings behind him. It would seem one of them had "accidentally" dumped their popcorn over his head. "Let's leave. Now." Ryou said quietly.

"Good idea." Malik agreed, grabbing Ryou's hand and pulling him out of the theater while Satoshi was occupied in the popcorn war.

"So now what?" Malik asked once they were back outside. "We've now got a lot of free time to kill now since you don't have to be home until dinner..." the blonde pointed out.

"Well, let's see... The arcade's still not an option... We don't have our swim trunks, so the water park's out..." Ryou listed various other ideas that were impractical at the moment, sighing when he ran out of things to say.

"I've got it! Let's go back to my place." Malik piped up, looking quite pleased with his suggestion.

"But almost every time we go there, we end up making out, and..." Ryou protested, blushing at the images that appeared in his mind.

Malik chuckled and moved behind Ryou, wrapping his arms around the slim boy's waist. "As much as I'd like that, we can't." he murmured softly, slipping a hand beneath Ryou's shirt and ghosting it across his stomach for a few moments. Ryou shivered and leaned into the touch, whimpering softly when the teasing hand left and went back to his waist. "Isis is coming home early today, and she'd kill me if she walked in on that sort of thing. Quite a shame, really." Malik sighed, nuzzling Ryou's neck and pressing a kiss there. "But we could just watch a DVD or something. Make some popcorn. Snuggle on the couch. It's all innocent, I promise."

"That sounds nice..." Ryou agreed, actually quite thrilled with the idea. With most of their time together ending with Malik's tongue down Ryou's throat, or elsewhere lower on his body, a nice, quiet evening would be a welcome change.

"So that's a yes?" Malik asked, moving to face Ryou again. The smaller boy laughed and nodded.

"Definitely!"

Two hours later, Malik chuckled and turned off the TV as the ending credits scrolled across the screen. Ryou had dozed off sometime halfway through, and was now fast asleep, resting his head on the blonde's shoulder. "Cute..." he murmured, running a hand through his hair, "Better wake up soon love, or I might be tempted to keep you..." he added, teasing the sleeping boy. Ryou stirred slightly and opened his eyes, blinking sleepily.

"Malik?" he asked softly before yawning.

"Have a nice nap, love?" the blonde asked, leaning down to press a kiss to Ryou's forehead.

"Mmhmm... What time is it?" Ryou asked, still not fully awake yet. Malik craned his neck to get a good look at the small clock on the table next to the couch.

"It's just after quarter to six." Malik replied before looking back at Ryou, who sighed softly and settled back in Malik's arms. Then the information Malik had given him sunk in.

"What?! I'm gonna be late!" Ryou yelled, jumping up and running over to the entryway, struggling to pull his sneakers on. Malik frowned and followed the boy, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist.

"Ryou, calm down. You'll only miss the appetizer." he said soothingly. Ryou shook his head and pushed against Malik's arms, trying to get free.

"I need to make a good impression, all right?" he insisted, finally breaking loose. Malik pouted and crossed his arms. "Don't give me that look. You're making it harder than it already is. Do you really think I want to go eat dinner with Satoshi?" he asked, feeling his temper begin to flare up. "This is a delicate situation! If my relatives find out we're a couple, they'll make both our lives miserable for years! Do you want to have to put up with Satoshi any longer than necessary?"

"I could always just send him to the Shadow Realm..." Malik offered helpfully. Ryou groaned and hung his head.

"No, that would be a bad thing." He said in a strained voice.

"Aw, please? Please? Pleeease?" Malik begged.

"NO!" Ryou yelled, surprised at his reaction for the second time that day.

"I'm ho...me..." Isis had chosen just that moment to open the door and get an earful of Ryou's shouting. "Ryou, good evening. I didn't know you'd be here." she said, trying to compose her voice.

"Good evening, Isis. I'm afraid I was just leaving, though." Ryou said, bowing slightly before tugging on his sneakers and walking out of the apartment. Isis watched intently, noting the boy's mussed hair and upset mood and added that to their heated argument from before and quickly came to a conclusion.

"Malik, you weren't trying to pressure Ryou into sleeping with you, were you?" she accused. Okay, so it was the wrong conclusion...

"Are you crazy?" Malik shouted. "I would never do that to Ryou, and you know it! We were arguing about his stupid family. Turns out he has a bunch of homophobic relatives staying with him for a while, which means he's on edge, which means we're not having any fun right now." The blonde sat down on the sofa, sulking. Isis rolled her eyes and sat next to her brother, giving him a slight shove.

"So Ryou's family isn't perfect, and you two are having a spat over it. Please tell me your relationship is stronger than that, or my hopes for ever having a relationship somewhat like yours are useless." Isis scolded.

Malik scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Drama queen..." he muttered, earning a smack from a throw pillow. "Of course our relationship's stronger than that! It's not all about making out and stuff..."

"Then act like it. Wait until Ryou gets a chance to get home, then give him a call or send him an email or something." Malik rolled his eyes at the lecture and got up to type his apology on the laptop he kept in his room. Isis clucked her tongue and tugged the blonde toward the kitchen.

"_After_ dinner." she added, ignoring Malik's frustrated groan.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Ryou declared as he ran inside his apartment and kicked his shoes off. The pale boy cringed at the sharp glare Sachitobe gave him. Ryou bowed apologetically and took his seat next to Noriko and stared at the bowl in front of him, trying to will away his blush.

"You know, it's pretty sad that even a boy who's new in town and doesn't really know his way around, who was so rudely abandoned at the movies could get home before you." Satoshi said coolly, giving Ryou a smug look. Yohmei shook his head slowly before passing around the dishes of food.

Ryou stayed quiet, keeping his head down. He saw the disappointed look in his father's eyes, along with the unspoken message: "We need to talk." With that hanging over his head, added to the stress his relatives already brought, this meal was going to be a loooooong ordeal.

"You left Satoshi alone at the movie theater?" Yohmei asked calmly. He and Ryou were alone in the kitchen, working together to put away the leftovers and the dishes. The teen sighed, closing the fridge door and leaning against the appliance.

"He was being a nightmare, Dad. You would have left, too! I'm surprised the ushers didn't kick him out first anyway." He replied, trying to remain calm.

"That's not the point. He could have gotten lost, or mugged, or stranded, or any other list of things happen to him!"

Heh, doesn't sound like too much of a tragedy to me. a certain sarcastic voice piped up in Ryou's head. The teen fought off a groan at Bakura's remark as his father continued.

"You were supposed to be responsible for him while you were out!" Yohmei added. Ryou made a small scoffing sound.

"Nobody asked me! He just invited himself along and started making the day miserable! How am I supposed to be responsible for that?" he asked, feeling his temper flare up once again.

"Don't take that tone with me, young man!"

"Fine, then I'll just stop talking!" Ryou shouted before storming off to his room and slamming the door. The teen groaned as he flopped down on the bed, glaring death at the ceiling.

"Well, someone's all PMS-y this evening." Bakura said innocently as he appeared on the bed next to his hikari.

"Bakura, I'm in a bad enough mood as it is, and Satoshi's most likely just gonna make it worse. Do you really have to add to it?" Ryou asked, turning his glare to the spirit next to him.

"Hmm... Yeah, I do." Bakura snickered and stuck his tongue out before Ryou shoved him.

"Wow, you really ARE on PMS." Bakura commented, arching a brow. Ryou scowled and decided to ignore him. "Maybe you should just let Malik go ahead and screw you. It's a lot of fun, and it'll blow off a lot of st—hey!" Bakura ducked to the side as Ryou chucked a pillow at his head.

"Shut. Up." Ryou said in a dangerous tone. Bakura was about to reply when the doorknob turned. The spirit disappeared back into the Ring just in time to avoid Satoshi's entrance.

"Aw, is the little drama queen having a hissy fit?" Satoshi asked in a syrupy sweet voice as he leaned against the doorframe.

"This is all your fault, so would you mind possibly doing me a favor and jumping off the roof? Thanks." Ryou said icily.

"Nah, it's much more fun bothering you." Satoshi snickered, catching the pillow Ryou threw at his head with ease. "Now, now, there's no need for that. Let's not forget which one of us is bigger, faster, stronger, and overall a better fighter," he said, walking toward the still sitting Ryou and towering over him, "Get the picture?"

Ryou fought back a gulp and tried to stare Satoshi in the eye. Sure, the boy had always been a jerk, but he had never turned into a full physical bully before. Satoshi smirked and lightly shoved Ryou back against the bed before picking up a sports manga from his bag and perching comfortably on the desk chair. Ryou scowled and grabbed a copy of _Detective Conan_, flipping through the pages until he reached a particularly heinous murder scene. Imagining Satoshi as the victim lifted his mood a bit. Too bad he could never get away with it... Bakura, maybe, but not him. The teen sighed dejectedly and glanced out the window. Life sucks sometimes.

It was starting to get dark now, and a few of the brighter stars could be seen shining out the window. 'Maybe I should just get some sleep and forget about this until tomorrow,' Ryou thought with a quiet yawn. 'Yeah, sleep would be nice...'

All thoughts of drifting off fled as the telephone rang down the hall. The pale teen waited a few rings to see if anyone would pick it up. Once it became apparent no one was going to do so, Ryou sighed and got up, shuffling over to the impatient device and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ryou, good. It's Malik." At the sound of his boyfriend's voice, Ryou smiled faintly and relaxed. "Look, I'm sorry I was such an idiot. Did you get in too much trouble?"

"Nah, not really. Father chewed me out for ditching Satoshi, and everyone else pretty much hates me, but that's not all that different. I guess I'll live."

"Sorry about getting you in trouble with your dad. Any way I can make it up to you?" Malik asked, "Say, flowers, candy, a big pink stuffed animal?"

Ryou bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Malik's last suggestion. "How sweet. But just promise me you'll stick around and convince me that committing hara kiri over this mess isn't a good idea."

Malik laughed softly. "All right, I promise. If I could, I'd give you a hug and a kiss on the cheek right now. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, Malik." Ryou sighed happily. "Thanks for calling. This is probably the best I've felt all day."

"Heh. Love you."

Ryou glanced down the hall to make sure no one was listening before he replied. "I love you, too." He smiled and set the phone back in its cradle.

...Maybe life didn't suck so much after all.

Author's Notes

Okay, my idiot hikari has finally gotten this chapter up. Rejoice, read, review, and pelt her with squishy tomatoes until she gets the next one up as well. Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies!


End file.
